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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Once again, I'm sharing this short story I wrote in honor of the baby we lost in November 2007. For several years, I would repost it on the anniversary of the date I miscarried. It was healing for me. I felt like it was one way I could honor this baby and I was overwhelmed with grief the first year I remembered that I'd forgotten to repost it. The next year, I forgot also. In fact, I haven't posted this story in four years now. Today I read through it after seeing the little note I leave myself on my calendar each year: a heart surrounding the word, Hope. This is the first time I've shed tears for that lost baby in as long as I can remember. Some of my readers understand this part of the healing process. For others, the pain is still very raw and very real. This story has given many, many readers comfort over the nine years that it has sat here on my blog. I hope it gives you comfort today.

Hope sits still and serene at the edge of a melodious river, dangling one bare foot into the warm, blue water. Her lovely blonde ringlets reflect the light of the afternoon sun and form a shimmering halo around her young head. Though she can’t help but raise her eyes every so often to the far-off hills, He has told her to wait patiently and so she will. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” He’d promised. If she has learned anything from past experience, she’s learned that time is relative no matter where one is. Even in this youthful body, she knows that the time it takes to endure is well worth the rewards that fortitude brings.

Since patience seems to be coming much more easily than normal this day, she begins to take inventory of her new appearance. Strangely, she can not see her reflection in the water in front of her. From the moment she arrived here in this glorious place, she’s wondered about herself. There isn’t much she can learn about what’s inside; about her dreams, wishes and longings. She’s treasured all of these, along with many thoughts and questions, since the day she was conceived. It’s her outside that is so new and clean and unfamiliar.

With a little shake of her head, she can see that her hair is golden and beautiful. She reaches for a curl and lets the silky strand slide around her fingers and over the back of her hand. As she moves to examine the hand more closely, she spies a simple white butterfly hovering near her knee. She watches with innocent interest for just a moment before it flutters over to a nearby snapdragon and gracefully lands beside it in the grass.

Lifting the small, delicate hand up to eye-level seems so simple now and she marvels at the lightness of it; both in skin tone and in weight. Turning this hand right-side up, she examines the lines upon her tiny palm. Amazing, she thinks, and so real.

Her eyes follow the motion as she slowly places the hand back in her lap. Fixing her gaze on the arm for just a moment, she changes her mind about resting it and, using her newly-nimbled fingers, explores the length of the opposite arm. Leisurely, she runs her fingers up and back down. Tickles, she says to herself, as even now the new word tickles her tongue.

A slippery smoothness is caressing the bottom of her one wet foot. Her brown eyes settle on a long and shiny creature gliding through the water. Father loves fish, she thinks to herself. But just as quick as it caught her attention, the creature is gone and her mind becomes occupied elsewhere.

“She’s here,” the butterfly whispers up to the snapdragon. The flower shivers with a sudden air of excitement and replies, “So soon? I didn’t realize we’d get to see her so perfectly formed so early!” The butterfly sighs. “Yes, she’s a beauty, isn’t she? She’s just the image of perfection!” She flurries up to give the snapdragon a butterfly kiss and then takes off back into the sky in search of a honeysuckle treat.

The snapdragon proudly pulls herself up to her full height--six inches at last measurement. As she stretches her lush leaves against the warm sun’s rays, a tiny yawn escapes from her delicate, pink lips. Lifting her head to peer over the sleeping marigolds, she stands upon the tips of her toes (which are firmly rooted in the ground, of course) and sees, just over the nearest hillside, exactly what she is looking for.

“Come children, come quickly”, the Man says as he ascends the last mound of lush, emerald hilltop. He takes care not to hurry the young family, most of them less than five years old. The Man turns to face this great group of children, His very presence commanding their complete attention. He smiles warmly and lovingly, sits down on a nearby rock and takes a young Asian boy on his lap. “Children”, he says, “I want you to remember back to the first time you realized you were in Hope’s place. Be patient, be kind. Be gentle and show her love. Come. Let’s go down to the river.”

The friendly party makes their way across the honey-scented meadow. “Look”, cries the Man, “there by the water!” He stops the children and they all stand still, amazed at the way the sunlight bounces off her flaxen hair. “She looks like my Angel”, says a little Irish red-headed girl, “only my Angel is a lot bigger than that!”

“Come”, says the Man, “Let’s take some time to offer our welcome wishes to this newest reflection of me. There’s a new child in Heaven today.”

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Ok, ok, so most of you know.... MY BOOK WENT LIVE ON AMAZON THIS WEEK!!!!!! I promise, I won't prattle on... But I do have to say how totally thrilled I am. What a dream come true! I told my husband...now I've got to get busy and write something else so I'm not a one hit wonder! You can find it on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. I'd love to hear what you think of it. Let me know with a review!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving last week. Just a nice relaxing time spent at home. All our family is far, far away in Oregon. Good thing I've got all these kids, eh? Selah and I enjoyed a game of Scrabble after Thanksgiving dinner. Now everyone else wants to play, too!

Michael Wayne is turning 15 this weekend! I can't believe it! He's taller than me, stronger than me, and a little more mature than me, too! Ha! Happy Birthday to my oldest son!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week. I'm excited to see what you've got to share at our Homemaking Party!

So, tell me: When you read 1 Corinthians 13; you know, "Love is patient, love is kind," how do you apply it to your own life? Do you immediately get struck with a sense of guilt right there at the beginning? Patient? Or what about the next phrase, "Love is kind?" When I read through verses, 4-8 of that particular chapter, I always think of how I need to apply these verses to my interactions with my family and others around me.

But one day I saw it differently. One day, I got creative and took some liberties with the verse. I inserted the name of Jesus right there in all those places where it says, "love." Then, shockingly, I went further and ended the phrase with my own name. Like this:

Jesus is patient with Sarah.
Jesus is kind to Sarah.
Jesus does not envy nor does he want Sarah to envy.
Jesus does not boast (although he does dance over Sarah).
Jesus is not proud (though he does take joy in his creation, Sarah)
Jesus is not rude nor does he want Sarah to be rude.
Jesus is not self-seeking and he wants Sarah to be selfless too.
Jesus is not easily-angered nor does he want Sarah to be easily angered.
Jesus keeps no record of wrongs...even Sarah's wrongs.
Jesus does not delight in evil...nor should Sarah delight in evil.
Jesus rejoices with the truth...he wants Sarah to rejoice with the truth!
Jesus always protects Sarah.
Jesus always trusts God's Word and promises for Sarah.
Jesus always hopes for Sarah.
Jesus always has and always will persevere for Sarah.
....and, best of all, Jesus will never fail Sarah.

Here's the part I always miss from that passage, verse 10: "But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." I never get to that part because I stop half way through the litany of love's characteristics. I stop because I am so overcome with my own inadequacy that it shames me and I know I can't ever be all those things that love is.

But wait a minute. "When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears!" When Jesus covers me and works through me I think I just might be able to be some of those things after all! By God's grace, we all have the ability to posses a clean slate any time we want to. We can make that imperfection disappear by asking Jesus to come with his perfection.

Can it really be that easy? Yes, it can. Because Jesus did the most difficult thing of all. He became sin for us so we could become the righteousness of God. He did the hard stuff so it could really be that easy for us. Let's not take that for granted!

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Another Thanksgiving is in the books and we're wrapping up a relaxing, family-filled weekend. I've learned a lot about waiting on God and trusting him the last few months and I'm looking forward to this holiday season in a new state of mind.

Here's some thoughts as I prepare to start another week.

The weather.....
Our weather is consistently cold now with temps below 60º. Finally!! I'm a cold weather girl so this Arkansas humidity has been a big adjustment for me. Our trees have just about dropped all their leaves and the smell of chimney smoke is heavy in the air.

Right now I am....
Our oldest, Lynzie, is playing piano and singing O Holy Night for special music at church tonight so I'm preparing to go watch her. It's been a long day for our littles so I'm not sure if we'll stay for the whole service---though a friend has promised to sit on a few while I sit on a few. Ha!

Thinking....
I've got the outline of my next devotional book swirling through my head so I'm thinking I'll need to carve out some time to get it all planned out here pretty soon. I don't want to be a one hit wonder!

On my reading pile....
I'm reading The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. It's set in 17th century Amsterdam and tells the fictionalized story of Petronella Brandt, wife of the famed merchant trader, Johannes Brandt. Jamie bought it for my birthday. I love the cover!

On my TV.....
We finished all the available seasons of Murdoch Mysteries and started watching Cadfael last night. I don't think Jamie is liking it but I'm getting into it. I love having our Acorn TV subscription.

On the menu for this week....
I think the family is about sick of Thanksgiving leftovers so I'll be finding creative ways to implement our leftover turkey and ham. Scalloped potatoes with ham is sounding good...

On my to do list....
This week I need to sew a sheep costume for Liam for the homeschool Christmas play and make ornaments for the kids' yearly tradition of receiving one the night we decorate the tree. Michael's birthday is next weekend and we plan on putting up the tree shortly after.

What's on your list for this week? Be sure to check out Diary of a Stay at Home Mom to see what other homemakers are up to this week. Hope it's a lovely one for you!

Saturday, November 26, 2016

I'm so so excited to announce my devotional for women, Now: Purposeful Steps Toward a More Abundant Life is available for sale on Amazon! Wow---what a labor of love and unbelievable learning experience! I hope this book blesses you all. You sweet readers have been such a source of kindness and encouragement to me!

Friday, November 25, 2016

The holidays are finally here and our family is doing all the traditional holiday stuff---including baking yummy breads and treats! Although canned pumpkin is available all year 'round, it only seems appropriate to bake with it in the fall. I usually come up with at least one new pumpkin recipe each autumn season, and this year is no exception. You'll love the spicy zest I've added to my favorite pumpkin bread recipe.

Years ago when I was selling kitchen products as a home business, one of my favorite recipes to make for guests was Mexican Chocolate Cake. It's amazing how the inclusion of cinnamon brought out the deliciousness in that rich chocolate cake. "Mexican" chocolate usually features the addition of cinnamon and chili powder to give it a spicy zing. Since I tend to be a bit on the extravagant side, I figured five added spices couldn't hurt anything in this experiment!

I found many of my ingredients at Dollar General, which is just up the street from where I live. I love that smaller "corner store" feel to Dollar General and it's great that I can find many of the things I need without having to drive to or navigate the larger superstores. What's more, Dollar General offers coupons I can use right from my phone, and this season they're offering deals on many of my favorite baking items. Visit the Dollar General website to download your coupons, as well.

This recipe features both Nestlé® Toll House® Morsels and Libby's® 100% Pure Pumpkin---two items featured at a great price at Dollar General. I love that it's a simple "dump it in and mix it up" sort of recipe. These kinds are my favorites because they're ones I can have my kids whip up without my help when I'm short on time.

I served my Mexican Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread on Thanksgiving morning and the kids loved it! They knew something was different from my usual pumpkin bread recipe (besides the added chocolate chips) but no one, not even Daddy, guessed what it was. After everyone had agreed they liked it, I told them I'd added chili powder. They were surprised!

Here's the recipe. Let me know if you make it as I'd love to hear how it worked for your family!

Monday, November 21, 2016

My hot chocolate is speaking to me today. Be happy ... even if there's a chip in your cup.

It's been a great weekend of relaxing and enjoying family time. I'm really looking forward to the week ahead---Thanksgiving week! Here's a wrap up from the past seven days...

The weather.....

Although we suffered through 87º days twice last week, it's finally gotten cold and we had our first hard freeze Sunday morning! We woke up to a 58º house, indicating that there's something wrong with our furnace. Jamie has called to have it fixed but, in the meantime, we've got the fireplace and wood stove stoked and it's getting toasty in here!

Right now I am....
Sitting in front of the first fire of the year. In fact, this is the first time I've ever lived in a home (as an adult) with a fireplace so this is a real treat! Jamie and the six older kids are at church and the three youngest are getting settled down to sleep. I've got hot dogs and s'mores stuff in the kitchen...I wonder if I should go find the roasting sticks?

Thinking....
I'm thinking about the nice weekend we had. Yesterday we spent the day at home and I worked in the kitchen most of the day. I made pancakes and bacon, slow cooked bbq pulled pork, homemade buns, coleslaw, and slow cooked baked beans. Then we went to Bentonville for the downtown lighting ceremony. Today Jamie took most of the kids to church and I stayed home with Brenna since she's got a little cold. I worked in the kitchen again, making a carrot cake, peanut butter cookies, and a fried chicken dinner. I love fall as it makes me want to be in my kitchen.

On my reading pile....

I'm still reading Sixpence House by Paul Collins. I've not gotten a lot of time to read the past couple months but I'm enjoying the book immensely.On my TV.....
Jamie and I have been watching Murdoch Mysteries on Acorn TV. I've been disappointed by a few immoral plot lines but it's been pretty good, for the most part.

Looking forward to this week....
If all goes well, I should be able to announce my new book by the end of the week. Editing, formatting, and publishing may have been tougher than the actual writing. But, I'm no longer a newbie so I'm sure it will get easier every time!

Looking around the house....
I did some baking today to warm up the house. I've been loving this homemade vanilla a friend gave me while I was in England in September. I use it in all my special baking. Last Sunday morning I took about four hours and deep cleaned the little kids' bedroom. Our 6, 5, and 3 year olds share a room and I'd not gone through their toy boxes to purge and organize in over a year! I'm thrilled to say that it's been a full week and they've kept it nice and clean and have gotten into a habit of cleaning up before bed, as well as picking up toys several times throughout the day. They're proud of it and want to keep it nice. Yay!

Hope everyone has a lovely week ahead and a beautiful Thanksgiving (for those of us in the USA)!

Monday, November 14, 2016

Hello Everyone! How was your week? Mine went well---especially since I was able to let go of a couple responsibilities that had been keeping me from being my best at home. Do you ever get yourself in over your head? I hadn't for a long time but recently did---and quickly found out that I'm not quite ready for too many outside-the-house responsibilities! If they're activities concerning homeschool, I'm usually fine. Other than that---I'll leave the rest up to my husband to handle!

This week I was the recipient of two blogging awards from Feedspot.com. I was voted 58th best homemaking blogger (out of 100) and the 3rd top Christian homemaking blogger on the internet! Firstly, that's awesome. Secondly, it inspired me to get back to more regular blogging about the things I love. Chilly weather always inspires me to be a better homemaker so I'm making a commitment to share more of that life with you all here. I miss my blogging friends!

If you've never participated in Happy Homemaker Monday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, I encourage you to check out her blog and write one up of your own. It's fun to chronicle your week---both for your own memories and to inspire other homemakers!

The weather.....
Our weather has finally turned chilly and I've been delighted to be back in my warm hats and sweaters!

Right now I am....
Everyone is asleep but me. I'm procrastinating on getting my book formatted for publication. I've got about 30 pages to go and could have it done tonight.. But I won't. Ha!

On my reading pile....
I'm currently reading Sixpence House by Paul Collins. It's a memoir about his family's move to Hay-On-Wye...book capital of England (and maybe the world!)

Something fun to share....
Here's my final book cover. Should be ready for purchase by Thanksgiving!

On the menu for this week....
I'll be making this delicious Caramel Apple Pecan Bread. It's so delicious!
Well, this post was started Saturday afternoon and has now been finished on Monday night. Ha!! Isn't it a shame that the holiday season seems to pass so quickly? Guess I'd better slow down a little and savor it!

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Hey friends! Hope everyone's having a happy week. It's been a great week for us---but tonight I'm sleepy and ready to relax with some writing and reading. Isn't this a gorgeous tribute to our veterans? This is Dickens Place in Bella Vista, Arkansas---the lane leading down to our city library. I love it!

Jamie and I voted Friday morning. What an honor to be given the right to vote for our candidate of choice. I'm thankful!

Best of all, our six year old son, Liam, was baptized on Sunday! He was so happy to be baptized and he's such a good boy---wanting to serve the Lord and brighten days with his sweet smile and disposition. I'm thankful for him, too!

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! I'm looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to!

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Do you know what this is? It's a #NaNoMuffin---my traditional midnight snack enjoyed during the first few minutes of each year's #NaNoWriMo event!

Are you familiar with NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month. I'm not actually writing a novel this month---but I am finishing up my women's devotional and preparing it for publication before Thanksgiving! I figured joining NaNoWriMo would be good motivation to get me writing more each day.